Introduction

Good morning, family of Christ. Today, we are going to examine a powerful passage from the book of Psalms that speaks volumes about the importance of trusting in God's timing, relying on God's promises, and seeking God's presence. These are three fundamental pillars of our faith that can guide us through the stormiest of times and lead us into the light of God’s love and grace.

Let's begin by quoting Victoria Osteen, who once said, "You may not understand God’s timing about something, but you have to trust that His timing is perfect. Trust Him and find rest." This quote is particularly relevant to our discussion today because it emphasizes the importance of seeking and knowing God personally, not just His plans.

Trusting in God's Timing

The Psalmist starts with a desperate cry, "How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts

and day after day have sorrow in my heart?

How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look on me and answer, Lord my God.

Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,

and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”

and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

But I trust in your unfailing love;

my heart rejoices in your salvation.

I will sing the Lord’s praise,

for he has been good to me."

Not our timing: We live in a world of instant gratification, where we want everything now. We have fast food, same-day delivery, and instant downloads. But God doesn't operate on our timetable. He sees the bigger picture, the beginning and the end, and everything in between. He knows exactly when to act for our ultimate good and His glory.

Easy to become impatient: It’s easy to question God's timing, or even to try to rush things along in our own strength. But the Psalmist reminds us that our role is not to dictate the timing, but to trust in it. Trusting in God's timing means surrendering our control, our plans, our agenda to Him. It means acknowledging that He is sovereign, that He knows best, and that His plans are far better than ours.

Waiting with hope and expectation: The Psalmist, despite his despair, ends with a declaration of trust and rejoicing in God's salvation. He chooses to trust in God's unfailing love, even when he can't see it. He chooses to rejoice in God's salvation, even when he doesn't feel it. He chooses to sing God's praise, even when he doesn't understand His timing. This is the essence of trusting in God's timing - it's a choice, a decision to trust God, even when everything around us screams otherwise.

Not easy: It requires faith, patience, and perseverance. It requires us to let go of our need for control, our desire for instant gratification, our tendency to worry and fret. It requires us to lean on God, to draw strength from Him, to find peace in His presence. It requires us to trust in His character, His promises, His love.

Our journey of faith: There will be times when we will be tempted to question God's timing, to doubt His love, to despair in our waiting. But let's remember the words of the Psalmist, "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me." Let's choose to trust in God's timing, for He is faithful, He is good, and He is always on time.

Relying on God's Promises

Relying on God's promises means having absolute faith and confidence in God's Word and His promises to us ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO